As a woman, travelling involves regularly assessing where is safe to go and what is safe to do. The SafeUP app is helping women stay connected to one another in case they need to ask for help – wherever they are.
Women change their personal behaviours in the interest of safety every day.
We opt for the long way home rather than shortcuts through parks at night, carry keys between our fingers, and share our live location with loved ones indefinitely, to name just a few ways.
All these behaviours are perfectly reasonable, considering that more than one third of women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a non-partner at least once in their life.
When in an unfamiliar area, it can be difficult to know who to ask for help when feeling unsafe. One app called SafeUP has been working to foster a stronger culture of ‘women protecting women’ by building local support networks that are accessible 24/7.
The SafeUP app is developed and run by a community of women interested in helping to keep each other safe from street harassment, domestic violence, and when travelling abroad.
Membership within the platform currently works on three levels. First are its users – women who have completed several verification steps to create their official profile within the app. The approval process is thoroughly designed to prevent fake profiles from joining.
Each user has the option to activate or deactivate location tracking on the app, so they can have full control over when their movements are being logged.
When active, individuals can contact a second team of women in their area – referred to as guardians – who will meet and accompany them when they’re feeling unsafe in public. This could be at a bus stop or even in a restaurant or bar.
These guardians are not people the user will know personally, but they are verified members of SafeUP. These guardians will have completed training and agreed to be available at any time to help women in need in their area.
Finally, a wider team of community managers handle administrative processes, such as training sessions, meetings for guardians, and when necessary, communication with local authorities.
Credit: Unsplash
At present, there are SafeUP communities in 38 countries around the world and the app continues to grow. But its biggest limitation lies in the limited availability of guardians offering aid in certain areas.
Women willing to participate on any level are encouraged to sign up online to help make their cities safer.
For many, accepting that safety in public is not guaranteed has been the standard our entire lives. One Redditor asked women what they would choose to do in a world without men for 24 hours. The answers? Pretty simple things.
‘I would go camping alone and sleep under the stars by a campfire.’
‘I would love to just walk around my city at night, listening to music, enjoying the evening, for as long as I want without feeling afraid.’ One simple answer said, ‘Feel safe.’
Based on current rates of violence towards women, doing these things in today’s world might feel far too utopian for the majority.
Still, it is wonderful to see initiatives such as SafeUP cropping up across all continents to get us closer to one day making them a reality.
Deputy Editor & Content Partnership ManagerLondon, UK
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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